By Joseph Staszewski
An exceptional shooting performance was long overdue for Tahleek Weekes.
The senior guard is shooting the lights out at practice, but had not been able to carry it over into a game until now.
Weekes scored 26 points and connected on eight 3-pointers to lead Construction to a 103–64 rout of Wadleigh at the Tri-State Classic High School Classic at Gauchos Gym Sunday. Weekes, who shot 8 of 15 overall, had 21 points and seven treys in the first half alone as the Red Hawks moved the ball crisply and precisely around the Wadleigh zone.
“It was about time,” Construction coach Cory Semper said.
Weekes, who missed his first shot, said some extra warm-up time because Wadleigh was late left him feeling good about his shooting stroke. After his first make with 5:30 to go in the first quarter, he knew it was going to be some day.
“I missed the first one, but once I made the second one I knew that it was going to be good,” Weekes said. “I just started feeling it.”
He did it in the flow of the offense as Construction continually exploited the holes in the Wadleigh defense. The Tigers were trying to play a box-and-1 on Hofstra commit Justin Wright-Foreman. Weekes was constantly open in the corners, particularly on the left side. All Weekes did was keep making what was given to him. Getting him going from the outside will be key to freeing the driving lanes for Wright-Foreman and Kyle Allman.
“It just shows that there is more than one person on the team,” Wright-Foreman said.
Weekes’ performance was part of a good shooting night overall for Construction, which connected on 12 total shots from behind the arc. It shot 64 percent overall, 57 percent from behind three, and 74 percent from the field in the first half. Allman scored 26 points and Wright-Foreman tallied 25.
Wadleigh led very early before Construction ripped off an 18-4 run that included four 3-pointers. Weekes capped the spurt with a trey to give the Red Hawks (8-0) a 20-11 lead with 3:47 to go in the first quarter. Construction posted a 17-0 second-quarter run, highlighted by an acrobatic 3-point play from Allman, to go up 48-22 midway through the frame.
Construction is unbeaten through its first eight games. It serves as gentle reminder that it is one of the PSAL’s best teams despite losing key seniors and was last year’s Queens borough championship squad.
“It just shows everybody that we didn’t go anywhere,” Wright-Foreman said.
